Winner of the Texas State Historical Association Coral Horton Tullis Memorial Prize for Best Book on Texas History, this authoritative study of red-baiting in Texas reveals that what began as a coalition against communism became a fierce power struggle between conservative and liberal politics.

Red Scare: Right-Wing Hysteria, Fifties Fanaticism, and Their Legacy in Texas

History

Carleton, Don

Americas

University of Texas Press

No Texas archetype is more indelibly stamped on the public perception than the Texas oil man—a shrewd, flamboyant figure captured most recently in the character of J. R. Ewing in the long-running television series “Dallas.” During the 1980s when this program was playing worldwide, reinforcing the stereotype of the oil man as a conservative, unprincipled rogue, another Texas oil man named J. R.—in this case, J. R. Parten—was quietly concluding a remarkable career that spanned most of the twentieth century. Although J. R. Parten shared some characteristics with the fictional J. R. Ewing—he was a highly successful and tough-minded entrepreneur—Parten was a quiet gentleman, loyal to his friends, and a man of honor and principle. Little known during his lifetime, he remains a relatively anonymous figure despite the fact that he played a number of historically significant roles in Texas and the nation, and counted numerous bigger-than-life characters as colleagues, associates, and friends: Huey Long, Sam Rayburn, John Henry Faulk, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Harry Truman, among others. Through numerous interviews and unlimited access to Parten’s personal papers, the author tells the fascinating story of Parten’s life, from small town East Texas at the turn of the century to the capitals of the world. After studying at the University of Texas from 1913 to 1917, he served in World War I as the youngest major in the field artillery. He entered the oil business in 1919 and was a true pioneer in the industry, establishing numerous energy businesses that earned millions of dollars and employed thousands of people. While serving on the University of Texas Board of Regents from 1935 to 1941, Parten used his knowledge of the oil business to greatly increase the university’s income from its oil holdings, and fought tenaciously for academic excellence and freedom of speech for students and faculty. When democracy was threatened during World War II, Parten was a dominant figure in the development of the “Big Inch” and “Little Inch” pipelines, which stretched from East Texas to the East Coast and provided critical fuel for the victorious Allied war effort. In 1945 Parten served as chief of staff for the U.S. delegation to the Allied War Reparations Commission in Moscow and later participated in the Potsdam Conference in Berlin. A lifelong Democrat of moderately liberal cast, Parten was a player in state and national politics, often crusading on the liberal and losing side of elections and issues. In 1950 he helped establish the Fund for the Republic in an effort to counter threats to basic civil liberties during the Red Scare of the 1950s. His support for the Texas Observer and for sometimes unpopular politicians and ideas brought important liberal ideas to the local and national stage. As a generous philanthropist and political activist—often behind the scenes—Parten supported world peace and opposed nuclear weapons and the Vietnam War. A man who stood firmly behind his beliefs, Parten was a quiet doer in a culture that is more likely to recognize the flamboyant gesture. He held fast to his principles, but as a lifelong learner he was always willing to change. J. R. Parten was a man who made a difference.

A Breed So Rare: The Life of J. R. Parten, Liberal Texas Oil Man, 1896–1992

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

Texas State Historical Assn

Red McCombs has, in his words, "dabbled in automobiles, cattle, oil and gas, broadcasting, insurance, racehorses, motion pictures, real estate, politics, minor league baseball, and pro football." The successful businessman is also the cofounder of Clear Channel Communications, the former owner of two professional basketball teams, and a noted philanthropist. Published by the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, Big Red is a candid first-person account of the life and times of this extraordinary Texan.
Based on a series of oral history interviews with Dr. Don Carleton, the book begins with an account of McCombs's childhood in the West Texas town of Spur, where he first went into business for himself at the age of ten by selling peanuts to farmworkers. McCombs started selling cars in Corpus Christi in 1950, and before long he was one of the most successful Ford dealers in the country. He moved to San Antonio in 1958 and built a business empire, always looking for his next great deal. Through all of his wheeling and dealing, however, McCombs says he's signed only one lifetime contract—with his wife, Charline.
McCombs's candid views on why U.S. automakers floundered, as well as his insights on the development of the highly successful Clear Channel Communications, are among the many behind-the-scenes accounts he relates about his remarkable life.

Big Red: Memoirs of a Texas Entrepreneur and Philanthropist

McCombs, Red

Professionals & Academics

Briscoe Ctr for Amer History UT-Austin

“[Briscoe was] a man of high integrity who held a genuine appreciation for the judgment and wisdom of the Texans whom he served . . . . Carleton must be commended for his efforts to bring Dolph Briscoe’s story to the public’s attention.” —Southwestern Historical Quarterly
Dolph Briscoe, governor of Texas from 1973 until 1979, was the largest individual landowner and rancher in a state famous for its huge ranches. He was one of the most respected businessmen in Texas, with a portfolio that included banks, agribusinesses, cattle, and oil and gas properties. His philanthropy provided much-needed support to a wide range of educational, medical, scientific, and cultural institutions. As a member of the state legislature in the decade following World War II, Briscoe was the author of major legislation that improved the daily lives of farmers and ranchers throughout Texas. As an activist leader of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, Briscoe played a significant role in the successful effort to eliminate the screwworm, an age-old scourge of the livestock industry. As a friend and associate of a number of major American political figures, he was an eyewitness to history. And as a governor who assumed office following one of the most far-reaching corruption scandals in Texas history, Briscoe played a crucial role in restoring public confidence in the integrity of state government.
Don Carleton, executive director of the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin, conducted a series of lengthy oral history interviews with Governor Briscoe to produce this book.

Dolph Briscoe: My Life in Texas Ranching and Politics

Briscoe, Dolph

Bernard Rapoport lived the American Dream. Born to Russian Jewish immigrant parents in San Antonio, Texas, in 1917, he grew up in poverty and worked his way through the University of Texas during the Great Depression. In 1951, he founded the American Income Life Insurance Company, which he developed into a multi-million-dollar business. Using his wealth to support a host of local, national, and international organizations, Rapoport was unstinting in his support for education, social justice, and liberal political causes. In this memoir, Rapoport explains how his early experiences of poverty and his youthful acquaintance with Marxists and New Deal economists shaped him into a capitalist with a conscience. Rapoport goes on to describe his liberal activism as a supporter of Democrats from Ralph Yarborough to Tom Daschle to his good friends Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton, an underwriter of the political journal The Texas Observer, a regent of the University of Texas System, a supporter of the state of Israel, and a champion of at-risk students. This updated edition includes material Rapoport and Don E. Carleton produced between 2009 and 2011 that addresses Rapoport's views on political and economic developments since the book was originally published.

Being Rapoport: Capitalist with a Conscience

Rapoport, Bernard

William P. "Will" Hobby Sr. and Oveta Culp Hobby were one of the most influential couples in Texas history. Both were major public figures, with Will serving as governor of Texas and Oveta as the first commander of the Women's Army Corps and later as the second woman to serve in a presidential cabinet. Together, they built a pioneering media empire centered on the Houston Post and their broadcast properties, and they played a significant role in the transformation of Houston into the fourth largest city in the United States. Don Carleton's dual biography details their personal and professional relationship--defined by a shared dedication to public service--and the important roles they each played in local, state, and national events throughout the twentieth century. This deeply researched book not only details this historically significant partnership, but also explores the close relationships between the Hobbys and key figures in twentieth-century history, from Texas legends such as LBJ, Sam Rayburn, and Jesse Jones, to national icons, including the Roosevelts, President Eisenhower, and the Rockefellers. Carleton's chronicle reveals the undeniable impact of the Hobbys on journalistic and political history in the United States.

The Governor and the Colonel: A Dual Biography of William P. Hobby and Oveta Culp Hobby

In this book, the author's researches into Arthur's battles point to fascinating new conclusions about his life: King Arthur's greatest battle, at Badon, was fought at Bristol, close to the site of the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge. Guinevere was not Arthur's wife but his mistress. Arthur was probably Irish and initially a warrior not a king. He fought on behalf of a named Irish king against whom he rebelled. Arthur was brain-damaged by the wars and died, unable to speak, on the Isle of Skye. Much of the history of the time was lost because of natural events around 540AD. But the warrior elite, of which Arthur was part, went on to rule what later became known as Wessex, the cradle of the English nation—for which King Arthur became a founding legend.

Arthur: Warrior and King

Europe

Amberley Publishing

The modern civil rights movement rapidly came to prominence after World War II, coalescing around the demand to repeal Jim Crow laws and promote a vision of a just, multiracial society. The vast majority of civil rights organizations practiced assertive nonviolence to meet these goals. Nevertheless, opponents often met their activism with violence and intimidation.
Like those who marched, protested, and organized for civil rights and social justice, photojournalists put themselves in great danger. The Briscoe Center for American History’s exhibit, Struggle for Justice: Four Decades of Civil Rights Photography, which was displayed on the University of Texas at Austin campus, celebrated the legacy of those photographers. The material walked visitors through much of the civil rights era and provided a lesson both inspiring and challenging: that social progress is possible when one values it above personal comfort and safety. Now in book form, Struggle for Justice honors the photographers who were willing to put their privilege on the line to document the discrimination of others and, by doing so, helped to galvanize public support for the civil rights movement.

Struggle for Justice: Four Decades of Civil Rights Photography

Arts & Photography

Photography & Video

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